Unexpected Warmth
by teeceecee
Summary: Merida still hasn't gotten over her childhood fear of storms but lucky for her she has Hiccup to get through the night's fears. Pure Mericcup fluff with a side of angst.


**Naturally, OTP feels literally slammed into my face around midnight and I had to do something about it. **

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_**You put your arms around me and I'm home...**_

_**-Arms; Christina Perri**_

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Merida couldn't sleep. She had tried for what seemed like the whole night but still, unconsciousness eluded her.

She couldn't sleep not when the very ground shook with the force of heavens and the sky was alight with bolts of lightning. Merida clutched the blanket and tried to drown out the noise of the storm.

She glanced at the night clock and groaned.

4 a.m.

And she had class the next day.

Unable to take it anymore, she rolled out of bed and went down to the kitchen. She could hear Jack and Rapunzel sound asleep in their room and knew that her blonde best friend must've found her way to her boyfriend's room in the middle of the night to wait out the storm.

On normal days, she would be shaking her head in disapproval though she knew that if Jack even attempted to lay one inappropriate touch on the innocent blond, he would get more than just a broken hand. But now…she felt jealous of the fact that Punz could cuddle with someone she loved while Merida was stuck waiting out the storm alone.

Or not really alone…

She found Hiccup in the kitchen, fixing himself a sandwich, a look of adorable concentration on his handsome features. She wouldn't admit it but after the summer of high school and Hiccup's late growth spurt, he had become extremely attractive in the geeky way sort of way with his wise green eyes and crooked smile.

He looked up and started, nearly dropping his snack.

"Jeez Mer, you nearly gave me a heart attack," he said, grabbing his chest for dramatic emphasis.

Merida rolled her eyes and hip butted him out of the way, rummaging in the refrigerator for something to eat. She found a stash of Rapunzel's gluten free blueberry muffins and took a bite of it, despite the almost frozen texture of the dessert.

"Sorry, Ah couldn't sleep," she admitted, wolfing down the muffin in her hunger.

"Early morning grumblies?" he inquired. She looked up at him, quirking an eyebrow at his interesting choice of words.

Hiccup blushed at the realization of what he had said and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It's something my mum used to say when I would wake her up in the middle of the night for some pancakes…she called it grumblies because that's what I called it when I was five."

He smiled wistfully, eyes faraway in another memory. "She would always tell me how much it annoyed my dad to no end but not her…that was before she…you know…" Hiccup trailed off with a shrug.

Merida set down the wrapper and gazed at him in sympathy. "Ah know what yer mean Hic, some habits are hard to shake off." She was thinking about her childhood deep seated fear of storms and how it reminded her of the time a bear's roar had awoken her in the middle of the night during a camping trip.

That was the time when her father had nearly gotten himself mauled by a rabid bear and lost a leg in the process. That memory still haunted her till this day.

She must've been shaking for Hiccup placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a curious gaze. "Are you okay? You zoned out for a minute."

Merida flinched from his contact and mumbled, "Yeah, Ah'm fine."

Hiccup didn't look too convinced.

"It's about your dad, isn't it?"

She sighed, realizing that it was pointless trying to keep it from him. Hiccup was what you would call a wallflower; he observed things but kept silent about it and oblivious to Merida, he had seen her like this countless of times whenever it started storming at night. He would hear her whimpers and her muffled cries, find dark circles smudging her eyes a dull blue in the morning after storms.

He had wanted to comfort her but was afraid if the stubborn Scottish found out that he had known her weakness, she would honestly try something like throwing him down from the balcony. Hiccup winced, not wanting to get on her bad side so early in the morning.

It kind of amazed him how his friend wasn't afraid of heights or creepy crawlies but a storm would have her diving for cover.

"Och, Ah can't believe Ah've been up all night," she groaned. "And there are classes tomorrow."

He grimaced. "Trust me, I know."

Merida was silent for a moment, gathering her wandering thoughts. It wasn't her fault the storm had her thinking about what it would be like to embrace him, or the way how his touch had left an imprint on her arm. To distract herself, Merida blurted out the first thing that came across her mind.

"Do you miss her?"

Hiccup seemed taken aback. "Who?"

"Yer mum, of course."

Hiccup turned his gaze to the ground and silence fell on them like a sodden blanket. Uncomfortable and cold.

"Hic," Merida said, her expression softening. "Ah didn't mean it that way, Ah'm sorry Ah brought it up-"

"No, it's okay Mer," he said, eyes kindly twinkling. "Of course I do, though it's not as bad as it was a year ago."

Merida nodded, remembering how Hiccup's life had taken a turn for the worse when his mother had succumbed to cancer. His grades dropped and he wouldn't have come out from his room at all if not for Jack sitting him down and telling him to pull himself together. Valha wouldn't have wanted this for her son.

With their support Hiccup managed to right himself, giving his life a whole new makeover.

"Me mum used to tell me how when parent's pass on, they don't ever leave," Merida said and almost as if on an impulse, she laid her hand on his chest. "They're always right here."

Hiccup smiled her (secretly) favorite crooked smile and placed his hand on hers.

Merida found herself lost in his eyes as he started to lean forward, his face inching closer and closer.

_No, it really was happening,_ one part of her whispered. _Yes, he's finally going to kiss me!_ Another part of her thought.

She snapped back to reality, turning her face and letting her hand drop awkwardly to her side.

Hiccup froze for a second but immediately pulled back, a blush heating his face.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I just-"

"It's okay," she said, just a little too quickly. "Ah…Ah'm not ready yet for-" she gestured at the tension filled space between them. "-_this_ just yet."

"You mean you would actually…consider _this?_" His tried to keep his enthusiasm at bay. "Consider us?"

Merida had to smile at that. "Of course yer big lug, I would." She then bit her lip and cast her gaze to the ground, suddenly shy.

"Hic, can I ask something of yer?"

"Name it."

"Can yer…can yer sleep with me tonight?"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Mer, you wouldn't even let me kiss you but you want me to…to make love to you?" His confusion was tangible and that just made Merida's smile widened.

"No, Ah mean just on the same bed, yeesh, how loose did yer think Ah am?"

"Oh, of course I would," he said, flushing again. "I-I just thought-"

"Hic, come on," she said, pulling him to her bedroom, not giving him the chance to finish his sentence.

She got in her bed, pulling up the discarded covers up to her chin. Hiccup stood by the doorway, unsure if he should do this. What if they woke up completely awkward tomorrow? And what if – God forbid – she felt his unintentional morning wood the next day? She would so kill him if she did.

As if reading his mind, she gestured to him and patted the other side of her bed. "Come on, Ah ain't gonna kill ya."

Tentatively, he sat himself on the side of the bed, conscious about the fact that her bare legs were mere inches from his pajama bottom clad ones. He rested by her side, getting under the covers. She turned and wrapped her arms around him, causing his breath to hitch.

The vixen laughed at his reaction and snuggled her head into his chest. Hiccup relaxed and smirked, closing his eyes. He tentatively brought his hand to wrap around her waist and Merida hummed in approval.

Hiccup smiled against her wild curls as he laid a gentle kiss on her temple.

Together they finally fell into a restful slumber while the storm raged on, unperturbed by the distant rumbling or the thought of what this meant for their blossoming relationship.


End file.
